THE HORNED CAT.

Evening Star, Issue 8553, 27 June 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE HORNED CAT.

By J. Maclaren Cojmras*, Author of 'The Missing Partner,' of His Ptfe,' etc. CHAPTER XVI. *' BINTH." Bygrove steadily considered Townshend for a moment or two, as if trying to measure the depth of his purpose and the extent of his trustworthiness. " Very well," said he at length. "Agreed. Table your portion*" Deliberately Townshend drew forth a pocket book, opened it, and took out the crumpled and mutilated half-sheet of notepaper, of which the detective held the lower section. He clapped it tm the table, covering it with his h»sd as Bygrove covered his.

In the excitement of the game I had risen from my place and moved round, so that I stood overlooking both hands. "Now," said Bygrove. They removed their hands together according to agreement, and held them down beneath the table. They each greedily cast their eyes on the other's portion. On the detective's nothing bat the signature '• Ralph Grimston " was to be seen ; he had exhibited the valueless side of the scrap. Townshend covered his portion again with bis hand.

"Come, Mr Detective," said he, " that's not playing square. That signature is nothing. I knew it was there ; I must see the other side."

" I know the other side has something useful on it," said Bygrove, " but I don't know that you aro showing me the part really wanting to my bit." " Now," said Townshend, " that is an unjust suspicion. I appeal to Mr Halliday, who knows Sir Ralph's handwriting. Is not this I hold under my hand written by Sir Ralph ? And did you not catch any line or phrase that would make you judge this to be the o* f aer part of the note ?" "I think," answered I, "that it is written in Sir Ralph's hand, and I certainly read your loving father, which would have come on top of the signature." "Then I suspect Mr Townshend," said Bygrove, with a smile. " You showed me your wrong side." " I don't know," said Townshend, "which aide you may consider the right one. However, I'll show the other of mine if you will show the other of yours." "It just strikes me," 6aid Bygrove, "that you have the advantage of me, Mr Townshend. You know Sir Ralph's writing very well, and can read it off at a glance; I don't. We're not on equal term 3 to start with."

" Very well," said Townshend ; " I'll give you the advantage. Here's Mr Halliday, v?ho knows Sir Ralph's handwriting." "Net so well as you," said Bygrove. " Not so well, perhaps, as I, but still well enough. Well, l'il give you him as partner. Surely you can't complain of that as a handicap *" I said noth : ng, Bygrovs looked at me, and I signified my agreement with a look.

" So be it, then," said he. Both turned their fragments over, and held their hands down, and again concentrated their eyes on the writing. It had been exposed but for fcur or five seconds when, with a shovi "Ah!" of surprised discovery, Townshend raised his hand, coolly took up hi 3 paper, folded it, and put it in his pocket. "What's that for?'' asked Bygrove, in Borne heat. " I've had no time."

"We made no agreement about time,'' said Townshend quietly. " I have seen all I wanted to see, and if you have not that's your ill luck in the came." Bygrove was so obviously chagrined that it wa3 evident he had made out little or nothing of the significance of the broken writing set before him. He looked at me with vexation, as if he expected mo also to protest. I, however, gave him a light nod of satisfaction, which he was quick enough to understand.

The fact was that, being more of a spectator than either of the others, and having my attention less fixed upon seizing all I could read, I had, I w&s sure, taken in far more of the letter than the detective could have taken, and I had, I believed, laid hold of its one notable point of value ; so I tried with a nod to assure Bygrove that all was well.

" Very well," said he, taking up his own scrap and rising, while Townshend rose also; " you've had the best of it, Mr Townshend. In our next gams it may be different." "It may," said Townshend, with the slightest fljurish of a bow. " Well now, Mr Townshend, if you're ready," said Bygrove, "we'll begin." "Begin what? The next game?" asked Townshend with a conscious smile. "The tour of the house," said Bygrove with a serious face.

" Ah, now," Eaid Townshend, looking at his watch, "if you would wait for an hour or so. In;ustrun to the station and telegraph to a particular friend." Bygrove considered him closely. " Von don't mind waiting, I hope. Mr Halliday will eutertain you, and I'll find another bottle of wine." "Very well," said Bygrove; "be quick and send your telegram." And with a nod to us severally, saying "Port, I dare say," he went out by the further kitchen door towards the cellarage. " Are you not surprised," 83id Bygrove in a whisper, "that I have agreed to his going ?" "If I understand it," said I, " he has no intention of goin^—at present." " What ? Not to telegraph ?'' "No. I don't think," said I, "that he means to leave the house—if he has made the discovery that I think he has." "And what is that ?' asked the detective. But at that moment Townshend returned with the promised bottle of port. He drew the cork carefully, and then withdrew into the house, Baying: "In an hour."

" Whether he has gone to telegraph or not," said Bygtove, " he'll come back. If he goes out by the usual entrances he'll be followed, and if he tries to get to the station by some way I don't know he'll still be marked at the station; I've arranged all that. But he'll come back. He's not the man to leave things as they are and forsake his pals that are somewhere about, But why do you think he's not going ? What discovery do you mean ?'' "First of all," said I, "that wine cellar he took us to is not the wine cellar."

" I thought as much," Baid Bygrove, with emphasis. "And," said I, "you almost said as much. But his not showing you the cellar made me think more about the wine than ever, and I fixed my eye on that when he showed his part of the letter. Did you make out anything of it ?" I asked. "No," said he, "I did not."

"Well, let me tell you what I made of it. The letter began, aa I suppose you saw, •My dear boy.' What came after that I did not stop to make out; I went on to the broken part which joins on to your scrap, and there I think I made a discovery—and so, I believe, did Townshend. You remember that on the third line we doubted whether it read ' ink ' or ' inth '?''

Bygrove again produced the scrap and laid it on the table. I pointed to the line.

11 1 saw," said I, "that there is only one letter wanting in that word, and the letter is b .

«'»B'?" exclaimed Bygrove. "That would make' bink 'or ' binth,' and they're both words that don't exist "

*' Both words that are not word?," said I. •'I prefer the second one because I Bee what it may mean. Let us fill up the lines Of the scrap." There was no paper at hand ; so I left the kitchen to seek some in the study. As I crossed the hall I had a disturbing suspicion that I saw a leg disappear round the taming of the great staircase. It g*ve me a shock to remember that we might be surrounded and spied upon by I knew not what or how many desperate and unscrupulous enemies. I entered the study, but could find no writing paper save the half-sheet on which Townshend had written the luncheon menu the day before; and so with that I returned to the kitchen. I told the detective of my suspicion that someone was lurking on the stairß. •' Let us be quick," said he, " and get through this, and then we'll look around." So on the back of the menu I wrote out the completion of the lines of the scrap aa followi;

"ithall put Miogg all In order In owe of trouble. I have fully told, you, to take care of the wine and espezialfy of the o-inth. bottles, Be very careful of my directions..

All hdi been done for yon, and after all I have only been— a freebooter as our ancestors were. Forgive me, my son. I have a presentiment I shall not laßt muoh longer, I leave you to restore our name." " Take oare of the wine and especially of the binth bottles," read Bygrove. " Well, now, will you tell me what on earth a «binth bottle ' is?"

" I'll tell you what I think it is. You know the cellar—like all big oellara—is divided into bins, each bin being numbered and perhaps labelled with the name of the wine that it holds. Now, don't you guess what the ' binth bottle ' may mean f All the wine is to be taken care of, but especially the binth bottle of every bin ;—in bin five, that is to say, the fifth bottle ; in bin ten, the tenth bottle; and so on." " I see '!" exclaimed Bygrove. " But how the deuce did you think of that ?" "Oh," said I, "it's like something we learn in Algebra." "Algebra!" exclaimed he. "There! That's what it is to have a college education! I suppose it really might be some good in our line. I suppose that devil Townshend has had a oollege education, too !" " Very likely he has," said I. " Now," said he, rising " we must try that. Let's see what there is in particular about a binth bottle."

He was folding the piece of paper on which I had written when he noticed that it was written upon also on the other side. "Halloa!" said he. "Whose hand is this ?''

" Townshend's," said I. " It's a menu he made out yesterday for the joke of the thing." "Then, by Jingo!" he exclaimed. "I have him !"

" How do you mean?" "I'll tell you presently. Meantime we must get on with thia." I led the way out of the kitchen (Bygrove jealously carrying his bag with him), and on down, down to the great wine cellar, When we reached it, however wo found that it was locked.

"Are you sure," asked Bygrove, "that thia is it ?"

" Quite sure," I answered. "Well," said he, "we must wait. Let us see if we can get out as you went last night." I led on, and presently we came to the ten steps and the small door. The door was bolted within. We undid the bolts, and walked into the open air, which was exceedingly close and heavy, bo that odors of all kinds hung low. " It seems to me," said Bygrove, standing in the midst of the paved yard and sniffing, "that I smell a particularly strong cigar. There'e a. little open window ; there must be somebody in there." At once he marched, and I followed, into an open stable, swept and garnished, and made for a steep ladder whose head was fixed in a wide trap-door in the ceiling. He essayed to ascend, but after a step or two he stopped r.nd drew back. " \Vhat a brute !" he exclaimed.

I pressed behind him and saw Cloots crouching at the top. I explained in a few words who Cioot3 was, and the detective took another step up ; but Cloots " wawled" and spat, and warned him to desist.

" Let me go first," I said. So I passed Bygrove, with word and hand soothed Cloots, and mounted to the top. Bygrove followed, and pushed past me on to an inner door, which was ajir. The odor of rank tobacco and the sight of blue Bmoke wreathing itself in the draught of the doorway drew us both on. Cloot3 withdrew a little, and sat up and watched us, (To be conthntid.)